pear tree pruning

i pruned the pear trees. there wasnt much to prune this year. the only tree that threw off a lot of wild new growth was the parker tree. the others seemed to just work on extending and thickening existing branches for the most part. but its only 18`F out there. very cold on the fingers even in gloves. mostly because i have to stand there and stare at the trees, trying to decide if the branches in one area are too crowded, need to be thinned, or if the weight of those branches when pulled down slightly will be fine. i end up circling the trees a bunch of times, standing and staring. looks like i'll need to weigh down a lot of branches come spring on the luscious, patten, and summercrisp trees. pear trees try to grow all their branches vertical. you have to work against the tree to spread them down more horizontal. ideal crotch angle is about 60`. you dont want fully horizontal 90` angles, and you dont want fully or nearly vertical either. too wide OR too narrow a crotch angle and the branch is weakened and more likely to break off. and you want the branches spread out enough so the sunlight can reach the most leaves and fruit. if you let the branches get too thick or crowded then diseases are more likely to affect the leaves or branches. all things i try to remember as i stand there staring at the trees.